The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel

This was a super fun book, about an unlikely man who finds love 3 times in one life. The basic premise of the book is that an owner of a small bookshop, on a small island off the Boston coastline, hits rock bottom after a major life tragedy, until he finds himself an unlikely father, when a small child is left in his shop.What makes this book so special are the characters and especially the dialog, which is honest, funny, and very vivid. I really loved the writing style, making the book hard to put down. My only criticism is the end, which felt a bit like a rock song that just fades away, instead of coming to a more satisfying conclusion. But overall, I would give this a very big thumbs up for a little romantic fun.

It was a struggle to read The Storied Life of A J Fikry because of the format I chose, but it was a more than worthwhile effort. Zevin weaves a wonderful story by creating marvelous characters. Other than A J, it seems at first that we’re heading toward caricature (Maya, Lambiase), but the characters surprise us. And the plot, likewise, seems headed toward a love affair between AJ and Amelia that is entirely predictable, but each of them is strong, so the predictability takes a back seat to the multi-faceted people. The twist (spoiler) is heart-rending but beautiful, because AJ, who starts in the prickly shell of of a literature esthete, keeps the good parts of shell but loses the rough edges through love. And then there’s Maya, the standard precocious child that inhabits so many books … except she turns out to be a lovely person. And Lambiase the local cop who develops a taste for literature. Alice Island could have been Martha's Vineyard (the hill and the truck that kills Daniel) or Nantucket (the store being "right in the center of the main strip (...)  the second or third place you come to after you get off the ferry"). But it has the feel of the Cape.And then there’s the literature part. The book is a writer-nerd’s pleasure. The countless arguments in my critique groups about what belongs in which genre and what is good writing, often carried out over wine and beer, are played out in AJ’s cranky dismissal of Amelia on her first visit: ““How about I tell you what I don’t like? I do not like postmodernism, postapocalyptic settings, postmortem narrators, or magic realism. I rarely respond to supposedly clever formal devices, multiple fonts, pictures where they shouldn’t be—basically, gimmicks of any kind. I find literary fiction about the Holocaust or any other major world tragedy to be distasteful—nonfiction only, please. I do not like genre mash-ups à la the literary detective novel or the literary fantasy. Literary should be literary, and genre should be genre, and crossbreeding rarely results in anything satisfying.”The writing was good and clear. A bit hard to follow for mechanical reasons (see below) and because point of view wandered a bit between omniscient and close third person. In addition to being well-written, it was an easy, short, tear-jerking read. And then there was the excitement of trying to read it. That Amazon cares not a whit about the material it provides was evident. I need an e-book, and Amazon was willing to give me one … free. Except what Amazon gave me was a cover and a demand for $2.99 from a little bookstore in New Jersey. The file I got had most of Zevin’s words in it, but presented as if they’d gone through a Cuisinart. Sentences jammed together, making it hard to determine who was talking. Clearly a ripped off copy, presumably a copyright violation. I read it anyway and enjoyed it.

I was skeptical and unsure of this book at first but it subverted my expectations. It’s a great read about family with some mystery and good humour. I would recommend a hardcover though.

I loved all the references to good books to read. The humor was sublime, the characters real and their situations in life were interesting. A moving, enjoyable read.

Something I normally wouldn’t ready but a great story about love and change. Has some great twists and highly recommend!

A.J. Fikry owns a bookstore. Recently widowed, he’s a bitter man. Life suddenly changes when he finds a two-year old baby in his store.On the good side: this is a sweet, romantic story. Characters are relatively well explored and there are some interesting twists that surprise the reader.On the flip side: the story accelerates in the final chapters. It seems as if Zevin decided to rush with the story. Issues that -if addressed in the first chapters- would have been explored deeply, are quickly run through. I think the author missed the chance of going further, of exploring feelings in a more complete and profound manner. Without getting into spoilers, one of the most important twists (what seems to be the climax of the story) of the whole book is addressed quickly and superficially.Still, and notwithstanding the above concerns, it’s a good book. Maybe not memorable, but a nice piece to read.

Me gustó muchísimo la forma en la que está escrito, algunos capítulos son un tanto graciosos y otros muy conmovedores y profundos. Deja grandes lecciones de vida. Lo recomiendo mucho. El final me rompió y la verdad me sacó lágrimas, pero es muy bonita lectura.

If you feel at home when entering a bookstore, this is a book for you. With back-story twists, family love and passion for storytelling; this book has helped me add to my growing tbr of short stories, perfectly written and a captivating book, I could not put down.

I thought this book was worth the time it took to read it, and I liked the characters in the story. I seem to always enjoy books set in a bookstore, and this was certainly another one that is a keeper.

There are so many emotions running in my head when I think about this book. The story, the characters, the books and the whole atmosphere was so real and beautifully written.I agree the ending was supposed to be more but nothing is perfect. Might be my all time favourite

This is a heart warming book. It talks about the lonely and dull life can turn into something hopeful and loving . How humans can change little by little without dening yourself.